President Asif Ali Zardari witnessed the signing of three cooperation agreements between Chinese enterprises and Pakistani partners, further expanding bilateral collaboration in livestock, textiles and emergency response, according to a report published by Gwadar Pro on Saturday.
The accords included an MoU between Luoyang Modern Biotechnologies and the Government of Sindh to modernize Pakistan’s livestock sector, another between Beijing Asian Africa Longyue and ASM Services to build a modern textile industrial park, and a third between Sichuan Chuanxiao Fire Trucks Manufacturing Company and ASM Services for the supply and servicing of fire trucks and advanced emergency equipment.
“These MoUs will open new avenues of cooperation between Pakistan and China in sectors that directly support Pakistan’s economic growth and public welfare,” President Zardari was quoted by PPP’s official statement as saying.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday visited the Kashgar Free Trade Zone, the only facility of its kind in southern Xinjiang and an important hub for trade and logistics in the region.
The President was received by Yao Ning, CPC Party Secretary of Kashgar, and was briefed on the zone’s growth since its establishment in 2015.
Spread over 3.56 square kilometres, the zone brings together bonded warehousing, logistics, processing, customs clearance, and air freight services. It has trade links with 118 countries, with exports ranging from electric vehicles and batteries to solar cells, high-tech goods, and auto parts.
President Zardari was informed that the zone is connected by road, rail and air to both Asia and Europe, with its own international airport. It is linked with Sost port in Gilgit-Baltistan, just 400 kilometres away, and with Gwadar port at a distance of 2,000 kilometres. The zone handles both imports and exports through these routes.
The President also visited stalls and kiosks representing various countries, including Central Asian states, European countries, South Korea, and Japan.
Officials further briefed the President on the digital trade centre established in 2024, now home to more than 5,400 companies, and the cross-border e-commerce exhibition centre showcasing duty-free products from across Central Asia, Europe, and beyond.
President Zardari was also updated on the “Two Countries, Twin Parks” initiative, including an authorised Uzbekistan industrial park that enables warehouse-to-warehouse delivery within 72 hours, and a Kyrgyzstan-backed park under development for automotive assembly and LED production.
Separately, owner and Chief Executive Officer of Serene Air Yunchun Yang Saturday called on President Asif Ali Zardari in Kashgar, China and informed him of airline’s future plans for operations in Pakistan.
The president requested that Serene Air should increase the number of aircrafts in its fleet to strengthen the airline’s network and connectivity.
Dr Yang, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of California and is founder and president of a listed semiconductor company in China with subsidiaries in Sweden and the USA, assured the president of his commitment to invest further in Serene Air’s operations in Pakistan.
Serene Air is the first Chinese private investment in Pakistan’s aviation sector and the first private Pakistani airline to operate flights to Beijing.
Dr Yang also highlighted the company’s collaborative projects with the Pakistan Air Force on JF-17 avionics.